The Brett Olson era will officially begin when the Waterloo Black Hawks travel to the USHL Fall Classic in mid-September, but home fans' first chance to cheer for his team will be on Friday, October 2 when the Hawks host the Dubuque Fighting Saints.

The United States Hockey League revealed the home and away schedules for all 16 clubs on Tuesday.  The 65th consecutive season of hockey in the Cedar Valley will extend through Waterloo's finale on Saturday, April 3rd against the Des Moines Buccaneers, then into the 2027 Clark Cup Playoffs.  
 
Olson was named the Black Hawks' head coach on May 19.  He played for Waterloo for three seasons from 2005 through 2008 and more recently served as the Hawks' associate head coach.  Both as a player and on the bench, Olson helped the team to appearances in the Clark Cup Final.

Highlighting the Young Arena portion of the 2026/27 Hawks' schedule:

-The Dubuque Fighting Saints visit on Halloween afternoon (Saturday, October 31) at 3:05 p.m.
-Waterloo's traditional Thanksgiving matchup against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders is November 26
-USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under 18s arrive for two games December 11 and 12
-On New Year's Eve, the Hawks will entertain the Omaha Lancers

Most Black Hawks home games will begin at 6:35 p.m.  The exceptions are the Halloween tilt with the Fighting Saints and a Sunday, January 3 date with the Green Bay Gamblers.  Puck drop for each of those games will be at 3:05 p.m.

Saturday is the most common evening for games at Young Arena.  Home fans can see the team on 14 Saturdays from early October through the first weekend of April.  Nine other home games will be on Fridays.  January will be the most prolific month for games on Commercial Street (six).

The USHL will announce two additional neutral site Waterloo matchups at a later date.  Those contests will be part of the USHL Fall Classic, which will be relocated to Chicago for the first time this September.

Season tickets for all Hawks home games are on sale now.  View available seats and order directly online from tickets.waterlooblackhawks.com or call the Black Hawks at (319) 232-3444 for assistance.

Click the graphic below for the complete 2026/27 Black Hawks schedule...